S.F. Fresh Meat Festival continues to push boundaries

Summer brings an abundance of festivals to the Bay Area, but few are likely to top the 17th annual Fresh Meat Festival for boundary-pushing performance.

The Sean Dorsey-helmed event, which runs Thursday-Saturday, June 14-16, at Z Space, celebrates queer and trans dance, music and theater with a dazzling array of artists and ideas. Among the acts on the bill are world-champion same-sex ballroom champions Robbie Tristan and Ernesto Palma, the spoken word of trans mestiza “monster queen” Elena Rose, and singer-songwriter Blackberri.

And those who love rock opera will want to be there Thursday and Friday nights for “The Red Shades,” a superhero concert-musical showcasing queer and trans artists of color. The show is set in mid-’60s San Francisco.

Friday includes ASL interpretation, and every night ends with an after-party.